After a red-hot finish on Mount Etna, the Giro d’Italia will experience a day of transition, except for a major surprise, in the fifth stage of this edition. Regardless of the men who dispute victory in a foreseeable massive sprint, it will be Vincenzo Nibali the absolute protagonist of the day. Il Scualo, ‘El Tiburón de Mesina’, there will be a mass bath in his hometown, where he will be received with the highest honors at the end of a day of mostly flat profile, 174 km with departure in Catania.
It will be a turning point in this Corsa Rosa, since the caravan of the race will leave Sicily behind at the end of this stage to continue his journey from south to north of Italy. The only mountainous difficulty that the runners will have to face and that should not compromise the volata since its summit is almost 100 km from the finish line, it is the Portella Mandrazzi, 2nd category climb. Should they fall behind, the sprinters have a long descent and more than enough ground to rejoin the main group.
Giro d’Italia 2022: stage 5 profile.
AS Journal
The last precedent in Messina as the arrival of the Giro d’Italia took place in 2017, the day on which a Fernando Gaviria who today is a firm candidate for victory. Despite contracting COVID-19 for the third time this year, the Colombian showed in the third stage (3rd) of this Giro that he is in good shape. Cavendish, Démare, Ewan, Nizzolo, Girmay, Bauhaus or Mareczko, among others, they will not make it easy for you.